Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Cain and Abel

Soria is located on the Douro River at about 1065 meters above sea level. A strategic enclave due to the struggles for territory between the kingdoms of Castile, Navarre, and Aragon, Soria became part of Castile definitively in 1134, during the reign of Alfonso VII. Alfonso VIII was born in Soria in 1155. Booming during the Late Middle Ages thanks to its border location and its control over the cattle industry. In 1380, a court order forbade the Jews to try their own criminal cases in court. In addition, a decree was confirmed, according to which Jews were not allowed to be employed in the royal administration or among the nobility. These resolutions served as the basis for hate speeches that led to the massacre of the Jewish population in 1391. Soria went into a slow decline over the next few centuries. It was damaged greatly during the Peninsular War. This church was built in the 12th century but underwent alterations later. In 1170 Alfonso VIII celebrated his nuptials with Eleanor of England here and had a new church with three naves erected, replacing the modest previous one. His wife Eleanor was the daughter of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, from whom she obtained the Duchy of Aquitaine which she brought as a dowry to her marriage. It has a façade with two orders of arcades at the sides of the portal, which is surmounted by a rose window. The portal has an elaborated archivolt with Biblical characters and scenes, including the 24 elders of the Apocalypse, the Massacre of the Innocents, the Youth, the Passion, and the death of Christ. The tympanum has representations of God the Father sitting with the Child, four angels with the symbols of the Evangelists, the prophet Isaiah and the Virgin Mary. The capitals on the jambs of the entry feature biblical scenes from Genesis and the life of Christ. Adam and Eve leave the Garden of Eden. They work (Adam appears to be ploughing). The sacrifice of Cain and Abel. Above the brothers is the "Flight into Egypt"

When the first barbarian people, the Alemanni invaded northern Italy, "Piacentia" was one of the first major Roman cities to be besieged. The Battle of Piacentia then broke out in front of the city walls in 271, during which the Alemanni inflicted a bitter defeat on the Romans. The fall of the city triggered panic in the capital. In 546, Totila subjugated Piacenza. After its conquest by the Franks in the ninth century, the city began to recover, aided by its location along the Via Francigena. Between 997 and 1035 the city was ruled by its bishops, installed by Otto III. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Piacenza was an important member of the Lombard League. As a rule, the city remained Guelph, but at times it called upon powerful Ghibellines to aid them against their native tyrants. In 1447 Piacenza was conquered and plundered by Francesco I Sforza. After being occupied by papal troops in 1512, it was united with Parma in 1545 to form a hereditary duchy under Pier Luigi II Farnese, a son of Pope Paul III. After the preceding "Domus Justinae" in Piacenza had collapsed in 1117 after an earthquake, the "Duomo di Piacenza" (aka "Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta e Santa Giustina") was erected between 1122 and 1233. The cathedral has a total length of 85 m. making it the largest Romanesque church in Emilia-Romagna. Details of the facade. Wiligelmo da Modena s said to have contributed to the bas-reliefs. Cain and Abel

Otranto occupies the site of an ancient Greek city. It gained importance in Roman times, as it was the nearest port to the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. After the end of the Roman Empire, it was in the hands of the Byzantine emperors until it surrendered to the Norman troops of Robert Guiscard in 1068. The Normans fortified the city and built the cathedral, that got consecrated in 1088. When Henry VI., son of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, married Constanze of Sicily in 1186 Otranto came under the rule of the Hohenstaufen and later in the hands of Ferdinand I of Aragón, King of Naples. Between 1480 and 1481 the "Ottoman invasion" took place here. Troops of the Ottoman Empire invaded and laid siege to the city and its citadel. Legends tell that more than 800 inhabitants were beheaded after the city was captured. The "Martyrs of Otranto" are still celebrated in Italy, their skulls are on display in the cathedral. A year later the Ottoman garrison surrendered the city following a siege by Christian forces and the intervention of Papal forces. Otranto had been one of the last Byzantine strongholds in Apulia, but finally, Robert Guiscard could take it. It had probably been such a stronghold, as Otranto had hosted an autocephalous bishopric, only dependent on the patriarchal see of Byzantium since 968. So (Roman) Catholicism had to perform something "convincing" for the so-long (Byzantine) Orthodox Christians. One was to erect a huge church. The Otranto Cathedral, seen in the center, was erected over the ruins of a Paleochristian church from 1080 on and was consecrated in 1088. It is 54 meters long by 25 meters wide and is built on 42 monolithic granite and marble columns. I had returned to Otranto to see the unbelievable, breathtaking mosaic again. It was created by a monk named Pantaleon and his workshop between 1163 and 1165. Pantaleon lived at the monastery San Nicola di Casole, located a few kilometers south of Otranto. The mosaic covers the nave, both aisles, the apse and the presbytery. This sums up to a total of 1596 m². About 10 000000 (10 million!) "tesserae" were used. There are scholars, who have counted up to 700 different "stories", that are told here. Though, these "stories" are often disputed, as today's interpretations are mostly very "vague". German historian Carl Arnold Willemsen published the most important book about the mosaic in Italian " L'enigma di Otranto", that since the 1970s is translated into many languages. I followed his theories. Cain and Abel As I have uploaded so many photos taken in Otranto already, I will upload now only a few. If you want to see more click here: www.ipernity.com/doc/323415/album/1333378

Kottingwörth developed from a settlement on an island ("Werder") in the Altmühl river. The first wooden church may date back to the time of Christianisation. The first stone church was built in the 12th century. It got consecrated between 1183 and 1195. The towers were built between 1250 and 1310. In the first half of the 16th century, the towers were raised. In the years 1760/61, the medieval church building was replaced by a baroque new building. The oldest part of the church is the basement of the west tower, dated to the 13th century. Around 1310 the choir of the church (now the Vitus chapel) was adorned with frescoes. During the renovation work in the chapel in 1891 these murals were rediscovered under a coat of paint. The paintings are still well preserved. The right of the two saints, who holds a gridiron, is Saint Lawrence. Who is the left one, holding a loaf of bread? Honoratus of Amiens? Below them are Cain and Abel. God accepts only Abel´s offering but not his brother`s.

"Saint-Pierre d'Aulnay" is a church outside of Aulnay, in the centre of an old graveyard. The setting has not changed for centuries. For the pilgrims of the 12th century, this church was a major halt - and it still is for all the tourists... A predecessor church „Saint-Pierre-de-la-Tour“ had been here, that, when the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella got more and more popular, was obviously too small, as Aulnay was conveniently situated between Poitiers and Saintes on the Via Turonensis. A new, larger church was needed, so the place was handed over to the chapter of the cathedral in Poitiers. The canons then probably planned this church, that was erected from about 1130/1140 on. "Saint-Pierre d'Aulnay" (here seen from the east) is a gem of the "style saintongeais". For Peter Strafford ("Romanesque Churches Of France") this is "one of the best examples of late Romanesque architecture in what used to be Aquitaine". Cain murders Abel. The evil deed is eye witnessed by a griffon. - I cannot pass the area, without doing a detour to this church, so I have uploaded many photos from previous visits (album "Poitou-Charentes / South"), so now, I will add only a few "new ones".

Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, has a long history, that starts around 8000 BC, but later there were Phoenician, Carthaginian, Greek and Roman periods. After the Roman Empire had fallen apart the Vandals tried to take over the island but failed. Finally, the Ostrogoths took possession. Mid of the 6th century Sicily was conquered by troops of the Byzantine Empire. After the advent of Islam, Sicily got attacked by the Arab forces. Raids seeking loot continued until the mid-8th century. A Muslim army was sent to the island in 827 but met with much resistance. So it took a century to conquer it and even later revolts constantly occurred In 1038 the Byzantines invaded the island supported by Norman mercenaries, led by Roger. In 1072, after the siege of Palermo, most of Sicily was under Norman control. Roger´s son Roger II raised the status +of the island to a kingdom in 1130. During this period, the Kingdom of Sicily was prosperous and powerful, The court of Roger II became melting out of culture from Europe and the Middle East. This attracted scholars, scientists, artists, and artisans. Muslims, Jews, Greeks, Lombards, and Normans cooperated and created some extraordinary buildings. In 1186 the last descendant of Roger, Constance of Sicily married Emperor Henry VI, the second son of Barbarossa. So the crown of Sicily was passed on to the Hohenstaufen Dynasty. Frederick II, the only son of Constance, was crowned King of Sicily at the age of four in 1198. He became "Stupor Mundi", one of the greatest and most cultured men of the Middle Ages. - William II of Sicily built from 1172 here a fort-like complex of buildings, which included a cathedral, an archiepiscopal palace, a royal palace and a Benedictine monastery. In 1183 the monastery became the seat of the archdiocese of Monreale. The town then developed around this complex. According to a legend, William fell asleep while hunting. The Holy Virgin appeared to him in a dream, suggesting him to build a church here. After removing a tree, a treasure was found, whose coins were used to finance the construction. Well, it is much more likely that Monreale was founded in competition with the bishop of Palermo, who had commissioned the large Cathedral of Palermo. This would explain the vast dimensions and the splendour of the "Duomo di Monreale" (= "Cattedrale di Santa Maria Nuova"), that with the cloister, is the only building that survived the times. The interior is breathtaking, but as the cathedral is about 100 m long, there are distances here, not like inside the "Capella Palatina", where all the mosaics are so "near" - plus the visitors can sit down here - and gaze. It is overwhelming. Here are more than 6000m² of byzantine mosaics. The sides of the nave show many very strong parallels to the Cappella Palatina. Here and there probably the same workshop. Probably a large, maybe even a generation-spanning studio of Byzantine artists. Genesis 4:8 "Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let’s go out to the field." While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him."

Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, has a long history, that starts around 8000 BC, but later there were Phoenician, Carthaginian, Greek and Roman periods. After the Roman Empire had fallen apart the Vandals tried to take over the island but failed. Finally, the Ostrogoths took possession. Mid of the 6th century Sicily was conquered by troops of the Byzantine Empire. After the advent of Islam, Sicily got attacked by the Arab forces. Raids seeking loot continued until the mid-8th century. A Muslim army was sent to the island in 827 but met with much resistance. So it took a century to conquer it and even later revolts constantly occurred In 1038 the Byzantines invaded the island supported by Norman mercenaries, led by Roger. In 1072, after the siege of Palermo, most of Sicily was under Norman control. Roger´s son Roger II raised the status +of the island to a kingdom in 1130. During this period, the Kingdom of Sicily was prosperous and powerful, The court of Roger II became melting out of culture from Europe and the Middle East. This attracted scholars, scientists, artists, and artisans. Muslims, Jews, Greeks, Lombards, and Normans cooperated and created some extraordinary buildings. In 1186 the last descendant of Roger, Constance of Sicily married Emperor Henry VI, the second son of Barbarossa. So the crown of Sicily was passed on to the Hohenstaufen Dynasty. Frederick II, the only son of Constance, was crowned King of Sicily at the age of four in 1198. He became "Stupor Mundi", one of the greatest and most cultured men of the Middle Ages. Palermo, founded in 734 BC by the Phoenicians, became a possession of Carthage and later was part of the Roman Empire. From 831 to 1072 the city was under Arab rule. Following the Norman conquest, Palermo became the capital of a new Kingdom of Sicily and the capital of the Holy Roman Empire under Emperor Frederick II and King Conrad IV. The "Cappella Palatina" was built between 1132 and 1140 under King Roger II in the Norman-Arab-Byzantine style as the royal chapel inside the "Palazzo dei Normanni". It was consecrated in 1140, though it was not comleted when Roger II died in 1154. The "Cappella Palatina" was built between 1132 and 1140 under King Roger II in the Norman-Arab-Byzantine style as the royal chapel inside the "Palazzo dei Normanni". It was consecrated in 1140, though it was not completed when Roger II died in 1154. The interior is breathtaking for any visitor. Unfortunately, there are no seats for the elder who are blinded by the splendour. Adam and Eve - to - Cain and Abel / Abraham´s Sacrifice of Isaac / Rebecca brings water for the camels and so Eliezer finds a wife for Isaac.

The exact age of the St.-Peters Church in Linden (about 6kms south of Giessen) is unknown. The church is placed on a once strongly fortified hill, mentioned in the Lorsch codex. A smaller Carolingian chapel had been here already as early as 810/820, foundations of this chapel have been found during a restauration. The church was probably erected within the 12th century. The romanesque portal is the outstanding feature of St.-Peters. It was carved around 1220/1230 and originally it had been on the southern entrance of the church, but was moved to the western facade. There are only a few of these portals in Germany - and this one is pretty unique, though it is weathered and difficult to "read". One theory claims, that the carvings are connected to the legend of Saint Wenceslaus I, who was murdered by his brother. Soon after his "martyrdom" several hagiographies were (told and) written - and these were very popular within the middle ages. The right side of the outer archivolt has this icon. A large and a small man, wearing hats or helmets. They both hold something in their hands, but it is impossible, to see, what it is. In the right corner "hangs" and axe, or a hammer. R. Hamann sees Cain and Abel. I see two men - and a tool. This is the last upload, centered around the portal of this church. It is in deed very mysterious, it is difficult to interconnect the different carvings. I have the impression, that there might not be a story. There are symbols like the devouring lions and the dragon. There might be a Virgin, there is a dragon-fighter. Then there is a hunter, a bishop, accompanied by a person with a banner, a couple of peasants, two horse carts.. The parish has a website about the history of the church (in German): www.ev-kirche-gr-linden.de/kirchengelaende.html

Saint-Genès, erected in the 11th and 12th century, was the church of the priory Saint-Etienne, dependent from the important Abbaye Notre-Dame in Déols. This abbey, now in ruins, had been founded in 917 and developed into one of the most powerful regional institutions. It was one of the first in the Cluniac network. Odo of Cluny (+ 942) was abbot of three monasteries: Cluny, Massy and Deols. This is important, as Saint-Genès has architectural parralells to Cluny II and Cluny III. The building got severely damaged, when Louis VII (aka "Louis le Jeune", 1. husband of Eleanor of Aquitaine) burnt down the town in 1152 during a feud with Abbo II de Déols, a supporter of Henri Plantagenêt (aka Henry II, "Curtmantle", 2. husband of Eleanor of Aquitaine). In 1569 the Huguenots set fire here - and many restorations followed that. During the French Revolution the bell tower was destroyed and the church became a "Temple of Reason". The carvings inside were created by (at least) two different workshops. There are rough and archaic capitals, that are probably older than the more elaborated, "sophisticared" ones. Some of the capitals depict scenes from the Genesis. Seen here is Cain killing Abel. An angel is sent down to the murder scene, to take Abel´s soul and bring it to heaven. Genesis 4.8 "Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let’s go out to the field." While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him."

Already Theodoric the Great, King of the Ostrogoths, may have funded a church, erected over the tomb of Saint Zeno, who, following the legends, was born in Mauretania and died around 380 in Verona. The erection of the present church began in the 9th century. Soon after San Zeno´s relics were translated into the new church. At that time Charlemagne´s son Pepin (aka "Pepin of Italy") resided in Verona and a large Benedictine monastery grew all around the church. When the Magyars invaded Italy in the early 10th century, the church got severely damaged, but the relics were not harmed, as they had been taken out and were hidden. In 967, a new church was built with the patronage of Otto I. On January 3, 1117, the church was damaged by an earthquake, that ruined so many buildings in Northern Italy. The church was restored and got enlarged in 1138. The façade is striking! It was created in two different stages. The portico and the portal were carved before 1138 by Niccolò (see "Duomo de Verona") and his school. During the second half of the 12th century Master Guglielmo ("Gugliemus") completed the facade. Here is the narrative´s "last" relief of right side, carved by Master Guglielmo. The expulsion from the Garden of Eden has taken place. Adam is preparing a field with a hack. Eve holds a spindle - and breastfeeds Cain and Abel. Above them the lion harpist.